Ookami: Hikari
by ZOMGiwantspieNAAOOWW
Summary: I know they aren't all dead. They can't be. So I'm looking for him - the one I know must have survived. I'll look forever if i have to." Not yaoi, by the way!
1. Chapter 1

Yaaaaay perspective change. Think of this as kinda like the whole arc with Obito in Naruto, only it didn't go as far back in time. Now we get to find out what the heck Ookami has to do with Itachi! Which, frankly…is less dramatic then some might think. I should probably metion that I started writing this portion of Ookami _before_ I started writing the beginning…Hey, I had more inspiration for this part. I figured out how Ookami met Itachi before I came up with how I bring Kouichi and Sasuke together. Oh, well.

**Disclaimer: IF IT AIN'T MINE IT AIN'T MINE!**

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Itachi was having a very bad day.

It had only been a week since he had joined the ranks of the Akatsuki, but it had taken far less time than that for him into determine that at _least_ fifty percent of them were mentally unsound, if not completely off their rockers. And most of the other fifty percent were overly mysterious, far too arrogant, some mixture of the two, or – let's face it – _Orochimaru._ Words couldn't begin to describe the absolute loathing Itachi held for the snake.

He'd been assigned as a partner to Kisame, who, despite his-ahem-_odd_ appearance, was probably one of the least annoying of the group. But for some reason, which Itachi was fairly certain he didn't want to know, Kisame had immediately decided to go to a ramshackle town in the middle of nowhere. It was land belonging to the Fire Country, but the tiny village was so out-of-the-way that obviously, news of the Uchiha massacre had not reached the ears of its inhabitants. The unhappy teenager was seated quietly on a bench outside of a store, waiting for Kisame where it was at least slightly cooler than the rest of the area. It still felt like a furnace. The heat was so intense, the air actually felt heavy, and was stuffy even outside. There was no breeze. The village itself was pitifully poor.

To sum it all up, Itachi felt like he would catch on fire if he didn't drown in his own sweat first, the flies and gnats felt like they were trying to eat him alive, three different people had tried to pickpocket him in the last half hour, and the dust kicked up by people walking past was turning his trachea into a desert to rival Suna. But the worst part was the little boy that kept walking around the town. Normally, a young child wouldn't have bothered the teenager. But every time the boy entered Itachi's path of sight, his conscience gave a painful twinge.

The kid must have been about five years old, and seemed to be lost by the way he kept wandering around. His relatively thick, untidy, nearly shoulder-length hair was the color of raven feathers. Or so Itachi assumed, seeing as it was difficult to tell due to the combination of dried mud, twigs, leaves, and other various bits of forest caught in the matted strands. His tattered clothes were in a remarkably similar condition. His skin, the tone of which was indiscernible, had multiple half-healed scratches and fading bruises all over its surface. The child's eyes were wide and dark, and perfectly complimented the soft curves of his slightly flushed cheeks. The boy looked so much like Sasuke did at that age, it hurt.

Overall, today was making Itachi exceedingly agitated.

He let his eyes close-the better to _not_ see the boy again-and just let his mind drift off, taking care not to reflect for long on the massacre for the sake of his sanity. Someone joined him on the bench, but Itachi didn't bother with seeing who it was. If it was Kisame, he would probably have said something, and if it was anyone else, Itachi could care less.

"Um…Mister?" A small, cautious voice begged, in unison with a light tug on Itachi's sleeve. The teen snapped his eyes open and looked at the bench next to him. It was the little boy. Of _course._ The universe, it seemed, had a lousy sense of humor.

"What?" Itachi all but snapped at the boy, avoiding his gaze. The innocent, pleading look in his eyes was achingly familiar.

"Can…can you help me with something?"

Itachi sighed. "Well, that would depend on what it is. I really would rather not move, seeing as-" The boy cut him off mid second.

"Oh, no, nothing big. You don't have to move. I was just wondering if you could teach me how to snap my fingers. It feels like I've asked the whole town, but no one wants to help. Would you mind?" Itachi blinked, surprised at the simple request.

"Why don't you just ask your parents to teach you?"

"They're dead." The child looked away as he spoke. Itachi's gray eyes narrowed. That explained why the boy looked as though he counted trees among his extended family. He was living alone.

"So why do you want to learn to snap your fingers so badly, then?"

"Just cause."

Itachi was silent for a minute or so, taking in everything he could about the strange child. Eventually, he sighed, and wearily agreed. The boy's face lit up. The elder of the two demonstrated for the eager little boy, helping him to adjust his fingers and practice until the motion produced a satisfying clicking noise. Ecstatic, the five-year-old slid off the bench, and bowed quickly, exclaiming, "Arigato! I really have to go, but I hope we meet again!" For the first time, Itachi noticed the boy's eyes – they were deep blue, with all the depth and sparkle of the sky at midnight. The boy dashed off before Itachi could say another word.

As he settled back into disgruntled boredom, something caught Itachi's eye. Where the young boy had been sitting were a few fine hairs, probably shaken off of the child's filthy clothing. The long, gossamer strands just didn't fit with anyone or anything Itachi had seen in the area. They looked to be animal in origin, but no animal living near or in the village should have had a coat of that length and texture. As a matter of fact, no animals about even fit the color of the fur-white as snow. And it certainly hadn't come from the head of the child, what with his (potentially) raven-colored mop. So where…?

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Hmm, who is that little boy, I wonder, ne? (Apple~chan, not a word out of you. No spoilers.) Reviews please! Criticism will be used for improvements. Flames will be used for weenie roasting.


	2. Chapter 2

I had to write the beginning of this chapter twice. The dang computer turned off on its own, and this didn't get saved. So you people had better like it. And hey, nameless first person character! Not telling yet, you gotta keep reading! …Well, I suppose if you've read the other part of this story, guessing isn't hard. Oh well. Onward!

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(? POV)

Don't ever travel alone. That is and always has been my first rule. It is the most important thing to remember when living in the wild – nature can be cruel, but if you have even one comrade at your side, your chances of survival increase infinitely.

Don't let anyone screw you over. That's rule number two. If you allow yourself to fall for a trap, getting out of it may not be possible. Spiders prove that every day.

I have many rules, gathered over the years spent in the land of mortals. I have experience which has saved the lives of many of my masters. Yet, somehow, this is my very first Cub. Never before have I had such a small, young Master. I adore him – the innocence in his huge, blue eyes, his tiny paws, everything. My love fuels my rage. He is hunted, wanted dead for a crime that has not even been committed at all. He is feared, despite his age, because they fear something that he would never do. They know what I am capable of, and they know that I chose him.

But what they don't know will be their downfall. They don't know that he survived his attempted murder. They are uncertain, unaware that he is safe, so they have begun to hunt down any child matching his description, to secure their own peace of mind.

They don't know rule sixteen of the law of the wild: keep your packmates close, and give your foebeast a good reason to stay away. And, most importantly, they have no idea that I am very much awake, and know exactly who they are.

If they come near my Cub, I will not show mercy.

(Third Person)

"Yes, that's all very well and good, but is it _safe?_" Itachi asked for what felt like the hundredth time. He and his Akatsuki partner were trying to determine the safety of the small town they were attempting to pass through. It was getting late in the day, but disguising themselves would take time, so it was vital to determine whether the townsfolk were aware of their faces. So, Kisame had been keeping to the shadows, listening to the gossip, checking if their names came up. He had come back and immediately begun ranting some ridiculous nonsense (smiling all the while, oddly enough) implying that they hadn't been discussing the fish-like man. Kisame had yet to answer the question of whether or not Itachi's name had come up, however.

"I mean, how frikkin' _pathetic_ is that? Here we are, to S-frikkin-class criminals, and they're blabbin' about some runaway kid and a lost puppy!"

Itachi groaned. "So I take it that we were not the subject of their conversations?"

"Huh? No, but – "

"So no one in that town is looking for us?"

"Well, I doubt it - "

"Good," said the teen, resolutely moving toward the town, "Then let's go. It's getting late, and I want to find a good hotel before the mosquitoes wake up and eat us alive."

Kisame grumbled, but didn't argue. He'd recently learned the hard way just how vicious Fire nation mosquitoes could be. It made his skin itch just thinking about it. That was the last time he took a swim in a Fire nation river in the middle of the night.

The odd pair strolled leisurely into the town, Itachi with his usual bored, tired expression, and Kisame grinning in his incessant style. Immediately, Itachi noticed something was wrong. It was a warm summer evening, the sun wouldn't be setting for a few hours…So why were there no children out playing? People were huddled together in small groups, whispering. The street, other than two or three of these clusters, and a pair of men in what must have been the town square, was empty. Noticing the newcomers, the two men in the square rushed forward. One of them blocked Itachi's path.

"Hey, you, kid. Have you seen a lost child? He's about five years old, dark hair and eyes, kinda pale," the first man roughly questioned. Itachi's thoughts flew first to his own brother, who fit the general description in all but age and size…And then recalled the small boy who had been wandering the town he and Kisame had passed through only days before. The tone of his skin and hair had been questionable, thanks to combinations of soil, scratches, bruises, and various parts of plants, but his soft blue eyes were certainly dark, and he was the exact age. Itachi suddenly felt a strong hunch that the small boy was exactly who these two were looking for.

"Not surprised. Sounds like a lot of kids like that have gone missing," Kisame replied to the man, before Itachi could speak. Itachi had opted not to tell Kisame about his little friend from the forest, and now, the decision seemed wise indeed, for some reason. The teen didn't trust these men.

The second man, who seemed a bit kinder, but had shifty eyes, stated almost sadly, "Please, if you know anything, anything at all, tell us. His parents are worried sick about him."

Everything snapped into place.

Kisame continued on the conversation, idly chatting. Itachi made no attempt to listen. If his hunch was right, and his young friend was their query, then these men were the reason that children fitting the general description were disappearing. He remembered his conversation with the boy very clearly, and their story didn't match up.

"_I was just wondering if you could teach me how to snap my fingers. It feels like I've asked the whole town, but no one wants to help. Would you mind?" Itachi blinked, surprised at the simple request._

"_Why don't you just ask your parents to teach you?" _

"_They're dead."_

"Oi, you listening?" Kisame's voice startled Itachi out of his reverie. "We haven't seen anyone like that, right?" The teen shook his head, deciding to protect the boy, who he hoped was safe. The two men both thanked Itachi and Kisame, and walked away. The duo watched the strange men leave. Kisame turned to his younger companion, and whispered, "I don't like the look of those guys. They're up to something." Itachi nodded.

"Well," Kisame said, louder, "We'd better go find a place to stay before nightfall. I do NOT want to duel with the 'locals' again."

"Locals?"

"Yeah, the bloodsucking kind."

A small giggle was evoked from the alley to Itachi's immediate right, attracting his and Kisame's attention.

"…Did that trash can just giggle?" Another small babble of joy. "Cause I could a sworn that – hey, it did it again!...Didn't it?" The little sound had evolved into a quiet, poorly stifled laugh, similar to a burbling stream. It certainly did look like the trash can in question was laughing, as the sound was coming from directly behind it, and the metal cylinder was shaking slightly.

Itachi walked around to look behind the trash can, ignoring Kisame's…Well, Itachi wasn't sure what the man was doing. His eyes widened at what he found, hopelessly trying to quiet their laughter at Kisame's antics. "It's you," he said softly, crouching down.

"Oh, Mister! I thought I recognized your voice," said the dark-eyed boy. "Your friend is funny," he giggled.

"Yes, well, I – dammit, Kisame, the trash can is not possessed, knock it off," Itachi glared at his partner. "Seriously! We're in public, that's embarrassing."

"You're sure?" The older Akatsuki asked suspiciously, jumping when the small child laughed again.

"Yes, I'm _sure!_ Get the hell over here," he said, exasperated. "Why are you behind a trash can, little one?"

"My name's not 'little one', it's Kouji. And I'm hiding," Kouji whispered.

Kisame leaned cautiously around Itachi's shoulder, and noticed the boy. "Oh hey, a kid."

Itachi rolled his grey eyes. "Hiding from who?"

"The bad guys. The ones you were talking to. They're looking for me, but they don't know I'm alive, so I gotta stay out of sight." The boy whispered.

"Hey, Itachi, do you know this kid?"

Kouji looked up at Kisame and beamed. "Mister taught me how to snap my fingers!"

Kisame looked confused. "Why didn't you just get your parents to do that?"

"They're…" Kouji looked away. He closed his eyes tight, squeezing out a few tears. "They were killed by those guys you were talking to…well, I don't know the big one, but…I recognize the other, the one who looks like an evil fox. And if they find me, they'll kill me too." Kouji's small arms circled around his knees, hugging them close.

"Knew I didn't like those guys," Kisame murmured. "Why would they want you dead?"

"Cause they're scared. They think I'm gonna grow up and destroy them."

The two Akatsuki members exchanged a surprised glance. Did the child have some power that they were unaware of? Perhaps a Kekkai Genkai?

Kisame apparently decided that it would be far better to take the child on as an ally, at least temporarily. "Hey, ah, if you don't wanna sleep on yesterday's dinner, you could come stay the night with us. We just need to find a good hotel – "

Kouji perked up immediately. "I know one! Tou-san and Kaa-san took us there when we passed through here before! Come on, it's over here!" The now ecstatic five-year-old grabbed at Itachi's hand and pulled him toward the town's square. The hotel Kouji led the pair to was small, with only three stories, and the second floor, two-bed room they used was affordable. The fact that Kouji's parents had once brought him here was enough to convince Itachi of a lack of vermin – no parent with such a sweet boy could be that irresponsible. While Kisame collapsed on the nearest bed and immediately started snoring, Itachi watched the young boy. He opened the window and started looking around, almost anxiously.

"What are you looking for?" Itachi asked quietly.

"Urufu," replied the five-year-old, without explaining. A wolf? Why would he be looking for a wolf? Itachi shook his head, deciding not to press the matter. He was familiar with the overactive imaginations of children of that age.

The though caused a guilty twinge of his conscience. This child reminded him of his younger brother in so many ways. Shaking off the thought, he started getting ready for bed (sleeping could be a considerable feat, considering the volume of Kisame's snores). "You may want to get to sleep early. Kisame and I are leaving early."

Kouji looked at Itachi with a question in his eyes.

Itachi responded, simply, "You're not the only one being hunted." Kouji's eyes widened, but he nodded, understanding. He stayed by the window, however.

Itachi slipped under the covers, allowing his thoughts to wander. Sleep was evasive. His mind touched on various portions of the day, particularly the strangeness of the small town. Kisame had mentioned something about children fitting Kouji's general description disappearing. Hopefully, Sasuke would be safe. He was a good two or three years older than Kouji, and looked it, and besides, Konohagakure's walls should prove too formidable…right?

A lone howl broke through his concentration, floating in through the open window. It sounded...wild. Ferocious. Somehow, it carried the kind of loving fury one would perhaps see in the eyes of a mother whose child had been threatened.

Itachi heard the window slide shut, and suddenly, Kouji was climbing beneath the covers of Itachi's bed. The boy curled into a ball, and without looking at the teen, whispered somberly, "Urufu's angry."

And Itachi noticed that, once again, the boy had those long, gossamer strands on his clothing and mixed in with his hair. A worrying question passed through Itachi's mind.

Was it really Kouji the strange men feared…Or something far more dangerous than a young child? Something…inhuman?

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That actually didn't take as long as usual. I don't usually just crank out a full chapter like that. I'm happy now. Please review! Constructive criticism will be used for improvement. Flames will be used for weenie roasting.


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